Key-indicator for



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. P. CARPENTER & M. S. WRIGHT KE-Y INDICATOR FOR MUSIGAL' INSTRUMENTS.

No 347,686. Patented Aug. 17', 1886.

QDO v 350% 3A A 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

GET.

.(No Model.)

B. P. CARPENTER & M. S. WEI

KEY INDICATOR FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

' Patented Au 17, 188 6.

. scwn sr c'na Illllllllfi lllllllll INVEN-TURS Wrm E5555 UNITED STATES no VIN "r. CARPENTER .AND Monms PATENT.

VERNON ASSIGNORS TO ALICE P. CARPENTER, OF FQXCLUA J. MAINE nm mnromon FORMUSICAL memos-ten;

Application filed April 19, 1854. Serial No. 128,521. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

7 Be it known that We, EDWIN I. CARPENTER and Monms S. \Nnronr, citizens of the Unites Stntes,'both residing at Brattlcborough, in the county of ii inilhznn and State of Vermont, have inventedcertain new an l nsefui linproveinents in Key-Indicators for Normal Mnsical instruments; and we declare the follow ing to he a ilescription of our said invention m suficiently fullfclemg'and exact to enable oth- (are skilled in the art to which it appertoins to make and use the same, reference beinglhad to thenecompenying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

t5 The object of our present invention isto provi ie nv portsblc apparatus for use inconnection with manual musical iiistrunnents for indicating the proper keys to be depressed in accordance with the notes of any designategi piece 'oi'in'nsic; aiso incense, expression, oi'u ration of tones, and such other features of the musical composition as may be desired, said apparatus being adapted for reerly and convenient attachment to any organ, pinn0,-or

other manun-Lwhcn desired, and which can he n1nn'-.ifacturc(1 and. sold as an independent eppnrntns or attachment.

To this end onrinvention consists in an indicating sheet and apparatus, the nature.

0 whereof is herein illustrated and described, the particular subject-matter claimed being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is front view-of \thc manual and musicdesk of an organ, show- 5 1'ng our improved key-indicator in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sec tion of the organ-manual, ninsic-ilesk, and indicator apparatus on larger scale. Fig. 3 is a back view of one end. of the indicator appa- 0 mtus. Fig. Lshows a side andfaoe View of an attaching device which may be used for supporting the indicator apparatus insorne instances. Fig. 5 is a front view showing the. relation of the imlioatorsheet and manual keys. Fig; 6 is a view of the indicatorsheet,

ancl'Fig. 7 shows the written mnsiccorresponcling to that on the indicator-sheet as exhibited in. Fig. 6. I

Our key-indicating apparatus consists of ii '50 roll or sheet of paper, orother snitable fabric,

having delineated or marked thereon in color,

indicated nt'm, S.

and at lateral intervals correspomiing to the widtli' of the key-spaces, :1 series mots or indicating-marks representative of the a piece of music, which are 5 bronght'into view through neon. in. a borer supporting-frame, F1. across the front of the instrument manual insnch position that the coioti snotsor action or movement thereto, and the contir'nv, ance in View of the'respeetive colored spots denotes the length of ti me any'corresponding key is to he held depressed for giving the proper duration of tone.

In referring-to parts, A iienotes ironic or ones-{seed hnrwprnvided with meensioits support on the front of the instrument, anti adopted for occupying a position between the niusio-desl: B and' the manual '0, as indicated.

Within said frame are mounted rolls D which carry the indicating-sheet 'fhcisce of the iower pcrt,c,of the frame it. is marlzefi on in spacings corresponding to the vviiith of the keyspncings in the menus, and these severel divisions bear letters eorresponfing with and denoting the tones of the reeds or sonnaiing devices governed by the keys of the instrnment, as C, 3%, D, HQ, The position ox" the black keys may also he merited on saiil her 5, if desired, lay :t reacliiy-is tingnishefl spot or mark, asst it. One of the rolls, 1), serves as a spool for the indi' carting" sheet; while the other, 1 serves s winding-roll. for drawing forward he said sheet across the opening A of the her.

letter roll may be provided with or connected to a motorproperly arranged for giving the iinpeiling force for carrying forward the sheet Eat a regular or regularly-intermittent specs as desired. Said motor may be a spring errangefi within the roll 1) in the manner similar to a curtain-roll, or it may. be a coil and train of gears arranged at the end of the frame A, and operating, in connection with the rollnxle, for giving rotary action to the roll D, as roll I) is made on out of thedetsohsble, so the it can i frame and replaced for sheets E for difi'ercnt pieces oi music, the roll Said 9 gireiernhiyreonnteii on the indicator;

D being fitted with hooks or equivalent fast-' .ening devices for detachably eouneeting the end of the sheet Ethereto.

The ends of the frame A are provided with adjusting-pieces F, fitted with screws f and hand-nuts '5, by

1 or mar the finisl-ie'd surfaces on the cheeks G. 1 Another method of supporting the apparameans of which the support is rendered extensible, as said pieces F can be moved out or in. By pressing said piecw F outward against the cheeks G of the instrument the indicator apparatus is retaincdin position The outer aces of the extensible thereon. end pieces, F, may be cushioned with felt or other s'uitablesoft material, so as not to scratch tusis illustrated in Fig. 4.. Inthis a socketfor receiving the endof a stud, h, projecting from the end'of the frame A, as shown. This latter method ofsupport is adapted where theapparatus is especially fitted to-any particular instrument; but the former-described method is preferred where the apparatus is intended to be usedou any one of several classes of iustrumcn ts, as it gives adj ustability in length of the bar A for fitting between the cheeks G, and allows of slight variation laterally .to bring the spacings of the indicator to accurately coincide with the keys of the manual.

Any other suitable means of supporting the frame A may be employed, if desired-as, for instance, by hanging it uponthe front of the music-desk B by a cord, or by backwardturn'ed hooks that will catch over the heading along the front of the desk.

The indicator-sheet E is made of paper or suitable thin flexible fabric, and has delineated upon its surface rows'of colored spots or marks a, disposed in proper order, substantially as shown, to correspond with the positions of the notes or tones in a piece of music.

(See Figs. (5 and 7.) The lateral positions of said marks range with the lateral spacings of the keys and indicate the particular tones to be sounded, while their longitudinal positions indicate the time when such tones are required. The length of the spots 0 denotes the duration of the tones. The sheet Emay also be divided into spaces by longitudinal lines j, according 'to tones, and, if desired,.the symbols of the several tones may be printed on the first end of the sheet,to facilitate the proper placing of the sheet in the apparatus; Said sheet E can also be provided with transverse lines Z, to indicate the 'ineasi'ircs or bars of the music. Lines n or dots to denote-the time-beats are marked the tones, lines or portions of color are deline ated on the sheet, as at S, for showing the swell or expression to be given the music..

Such expression-marks are herein shown as along the border of the sheet, but, if preferred,

classes of spots and lines may be each of a diflerent 'color, if desired.

In Figs. land 2 we have shown the position which the indicating apparatus would occupy ou an ordinary reed-organ, wherea row :brac'c or name board-R7:

' In Fig. 2, O 0 denote the keys, L the lockrail, and M the fall-board. The indicator apnot desired to draw the stops, then thekey- I indicator may be placed directly down tothe manual; as indicatedin Fig.

. gle note, more or less, according .to the 'preference of the "player. In the present instance it is shown as of considerable width,and adivided by a rod, 10, which gives an upper paratns isthereplaccd at sufficient height to permit access to the pulls P beneath it. If {there are no pulls P in the brace or if. it is piece, II, of metal is attached to the cheek G,

of stops, P, require the space in front of the r Theopening'A in the bar or frame can he i division for showing what notes are to follow those being played. a

y In the operation of our key-indicatingap} paratus the pupil has the sheet of written music I upon the desk B, and a corresponding vindex-sheet,. E, in the apparatus; which is 10- cated'between said desk and the manual 0, and in such position that the sight naturally passes across it in looking from one to the other. The eye, i'eadily'catching the color of the spots a on the sheet E as revealed through r the space A above the respective keys, instantly perceives which key or keys to depress in order to give the respcct-ivenotes of the music without the usual mental calculation which a beginner has to exercise to determine the proper key or location of any tone on the manual, thus avoiding the hesitancy and mis-' takes ordinarily encountered by a person unaccustomed to playing,and enabling the youngplayer to more quickly attain a knowledge and handling of the manual-kcys.- The player depresses the key when the edge of the spot 0 reachesthe edge of the bar a, (or the rod .10, if preferred,) and holds the key until'said spot disappears behind said bar, the time required for the sheet to move such distance being the proper duration of the tones.

\Ve are aware that an apparatus has heretofore been patented wherein a movablesheet having marks for indicating the notes'or keys -is employed in combination with a manual or key-board, and we do not, therefore, herein make claim, broadly, to include such apparatus. Our apparatus is, however, of different and improved construction, and is also a portable article manufactured and sold separate. from the instruments, and adapted to be used onany organ or piano, and it embraces improvements of a practicallyvaluable nature.

"i ngs attaohee" sire to secure by Letters Patent, is

L 'Th e frame-bar A ,edepteoi to extend across the manual in front of the name-board'on a piano or organ, provided with devices for tem-" porariiy s usteining it-in position thereon; and the upper and iewer horizontal rollers, D and D, jom-naled at their respectiveends in bear-- to said bar, combined with an indicating-sheet, E, su'ch as described, mounteqi on said rollers tovwind from one to the other, and a motor connected with said bar and 'rollers, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. v

2. The combination, with the music-indicating sheet'E and its supporting-bar A, having'the opening A, of the rod or wire 00, sub- What we claim as of em invention; and destantially as and for. the purpose set forth. 3. The combination, with the bar'Aj havin'g the 'oentral bpemng, A, the winflingwell D,-

v 4:. The portable indieatef-supporting frame A,-the'10wer port-ion, a,,oof which iedivided by lines into spaces eomesponding with the width of manual-keys, and having'marked or printedthereon the tone-indicating-lettere of a musical scale,o.(or scales,) substeotiailyas shown'and described. Witness our-hands this 16th day of April.

- 'EDWIN P. CARPENTER. 4 MORRIS .S. WRIGHT. ,Wit'nesses': WIL IAM 'S.- NEWTON, HARRY LEQNARD;

snbstantieily as showa 

